Heaving-plug.



L. F. BILLS. HEAVING PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1912.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\A\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\-WV L .F. Bills To all whom it may concern UNITED scrapes PATENT OFFICE.

LEROY FRANCIS BILLS, 0F COALINGA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH T0 F-ItAJNK-ZM. NEVIIN'S AND THREE-FOUR'I'HS TO JOSEPH LACOSTE,'BOTH OF COALINGA,

CALIFORNIA.

HEAV'ING-PLUG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 16, 1912. Serial No.'720,689.

Patented Mar. 4., 1913.

Be it known that I, LEROY FRANCIS Brnne a citizen of the United States, residing at Coali'nga, in the county of Fresno and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heaving-Plu s; and I do declare the following to be a full clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to a plug for closing the lower end of anoil well casing to prevent the entrance into thecasing of sand, gravel and the like caused by heaving.

The principal object of the invention is to rovide a plug of this class which is simple in construction and may be fastened when in place without danger of being dislodged by changing conditions in the well below the plug and which may be automatically loosened or unfastened from above when an upward pull is exerted thereon.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed. V

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a heaving plugconst'ructed in accordance with this invention shown ap lied with the casing of the well in section. iig. 2 isa'vertical section through the .plug with parts broken out. Fig. 3' is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of the embodiment illustrated a well casing .A is shown of ordinary construction,

.within which this improved plug'is designed tooperate." 1 v This improved plug comprlses, as shown,

a sleeve or'ca'sing 1 having a cap 2 removably secured to'its lower en'd'and a head 3 formed on its upper end said head being preferably made integral therewith. This head 3 is rovided with a plurality of radially ex: ten ing openings 4; for the; passage of easing engaging elements to'be described. Any de sired number of said openings maybe employed two being 'hereshown arranged at diametrically op osite points.

- A mandrel 5 1s slidably mounted within the'sleeve 1 and is preferably composed of cast steel tapering from its upper toward its lower end for a purpose to be described. A

stop plate 6 is secured to the lower end of said mandrel by any suitable means and is adapted to-engage a shoulder 7 formed within the head 3 at a suitable point below the openings 4.- to prevent the withdrawal of the mandrel from the sleeve. When the mandrel has been raised a sufiicient distance to cause the stop plate 6 to engage the shoulder 7, a further pull exerted thereonw'ill cause the 11 Ward movement of the sleeve within'whic the mandrel is mounted and by means of which the plug is withdrawn from the well casing. This "mandrel 5 is provided with a plurality'of longitudinally extending grooves 8 having contracted mouths 9 to' receive the heads and shanks of casing engaging elements to be described. Two of these grpoves 8 are herein shown arranged at diametrlcally opposite sides of the mandrel and the other two sides of said mandrel are provided with projections 10 here shown as being triangular in shape and which are slidably mounted in correspondingly shaped grooves formed in opposite side walls of the head 3 by means of which the mandrel is guided in its movement within the sleeve.

Casing engaging or biting elements arechisels being held by said openings against vertical movement, but are adapted to slide horlzontally therein for projection or withdrawal according to the direction in which the-mandrel is moved. The mandrel is tapered from its upper toward its lower end for the purpose of actuating these chisels, the downward movement of the mandrel tending. to force the chisels outward into biting engagement with the casing A and the upward movement thereof tending to withdraw said chisels into the head 3 out of engagement with the casing.and thus the shank 13 of the mandrel and when the mandrel is inserted to its full extent within the sleeve 1 this plate 15 rests on the outer face of the head 3 and securoiy closes the v walls of the well casing when said chisels are forced outward by the downward movev mentof the mandrel as is shown clearly in Fig. 1.,

,When it is desired to remove the plug, a pull is exerted upon the mandrel actuating element (not shown) connected with the shank 13 which draws the mandrel 5 upward until the plate 6 engages the shoulder 7 of the head 3 and this upward movement causes the chisels 11.t0' be withdrawn into the head 3 thereby disengaging them from the well casing. A continued pull on the shank 13 will then cause the sleeve and head to be withdrawn with the mandrel and the plug may be either entirely removed from the casing or disposed at another point therein as may be desired.

While I have described my invention with more or less minuteness as regards details and as being embodied in certain precise forms, 'I do not desire to be limited thereto unduly any more than is pointed out in the' claims. On the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes "in form, construct-ion and arrangement, the omission .of immaterial elements and substitution of equivalents ascircumstances may pedient.

I clalm as my 1nvent1on;

suggest or render ex- 1. A heaving plug comprising a casing provided with a plurality of openings in its side Walls, gripping elements slidable in said openings, a tapered mandrel slidably mounted in said casing and provided with grooves, said gripping elements having heads slidably engaged with said grooves.

2. A heaving plug comprising-a cylindrical body with openingsextending transversely through the side walls thereof, gripping elements mounted to slide in said openings and means for projecting and withdrawing said gripping elements.

3. A heaving plug comprising-a cylindried in said cylindrical body and provided with under cut grooves extending longitudinally thereof, said gripplng elements having headsslidably engaged with said grooves.-

4. A heaving plugcomprising a cylindrical body with openings extending transversely through the side walls thereof, gripping-elements mounted to slide in said openings, a mandrel slidably mounted in said body and tapered from its outer toward its inner end, said'mandrel having under cut grooves extending longitudinally thereof, heads on said gripping elements slidably engaged with said grooves and cotiperating guides formed on said mandrel and said body. y y

5. A heaving plug comprising a cylindri: cal body having a head at its upper end, said head having radially extending openings therein and a shoulder on its inner face, a closure for one end of said body, a tapered mandrel'slidably mounted in said body and provided with under cut grooves, gripping elements slidable inthe openings of said head and provided on their inner ends with heads for slidable engagement with the grooves in 'sa'id mandrel and a stop plate secured to the inner end of said mandrel.

6. A heaving plug comprising a cylindrical body having a head at its upper'end,

said head having radially extending openings therein and a shoulder on its inner face, a closure for one'end of said body, a tapered mandrel slidably mounted in said body and provided with under cut grooves, gripping elements slidable .in the openings of said head and provided on their inner ends with heads for. slidable engagement with the J. A. STEELE, H. R. CROZ ER. 

